The Business Merger
by Sorraia3
Summary: The Centre has been experimenting again. But what will it mean for Jarod and Miss Parker when they find out the truth? JMP
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** The Centre has been experimenting again. But what will it mean for Jarod and Miss Parker when they find out the truth?

**Disclaimer: **Don't own em… blah, blah… not mine, etc..

**Author's Note:** I just found this story on my computer. I had apparently written it like 7 years ago. I fixed up some spelling/grammer issues and here it is. I guess I hadn't yet started writing in He Said/She Said format yet back then so it's kinda script like. I hope it's still readable, I just didn't feel like changing the whole thing. It's pretty short too, I think, so I don't know why I made it into 3 chapters back then but figure there must have been a method to my madness so I left it like that. Please let me know what you think.

**The Business Merger by Sorraia3**

**Part 1**

/She had just walked through the door when the phone rang./

**Miss Parker:** What?

**Jarod:** Cheerful as usual.

**Miss Parker:** Oh goody. What little piece of wisdom do you have to torture me with today?

**Jarod:** I'm not the one torturing you, Miss Parker. I would take a closer look at your employers.

**Miss Parker:** I'm not the one the Centre wants dead or alive, Jarod, you are. And I _will_ find you and gain my freedom.

**Jarod:** So, you think your little deal with Daddy is the reason that the Centre agreed to send _you_ after me? The Centre has eyes everywhere, Miss Parker. Do you think they didn't know about all the time we spent together as children? They had, still have, much bigger plans for us than you could ever imagine, Miss Parker. Whether you like it or not, we are in this together. More than you could possibly imagine.

**Miss Parker:** What do you want Jarod?

**Jarod:** Meet me. Come alone. Talk to me. If, after you hear what I have to say, you still want to take me back, I will go.

**Miss Parker:** Peacefully?

**Jarod:** I will never be at peace Miss Parker.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Don't own em… blah, blah… not mine, etc..

**The Business Merger by Sorraia3**

**Part 2**

/Miss Parker pulls up to the motel in the middle of the Arizona desert and finds Jarod's room. She draws her gun, just in case. As she is about to knock, the door opens./

**Jarod:** Hello, Miss Parker

**Miss Parker:** Well, Boy Genius, why am I here in the middle of nowhere on a Saturday night?

**Jarod:** Nice to see you, too. I do apologize if I pulled you away from any social plans. Please, come in.

**Miss Parker:** The only plans I have for tonight is a flight to somewhere warm and sunny with a beach after I bring you in and take my leave of that hellhole you'll soon be calling home.

/She walks into the room, motioning with the gun that he should enter first. He walks over to the opposite wall and sits down. She closes and locks the door, to prevent his escape./

**Jarod:** You won't be needing that right now. (He nods toward the gun still in her hand.) I assure you I'm not going anywhere until I tell you what I have to say.

**Miss Parker:** What makes you think you'll even have the chance? I could have sweepers moving…

**Jarod:** Miss Parker, _please_, don't waste your breath. I picked this location for a reason. I've been monitoring the entire area in a 30-mile radius since I first called you. If there were any sign you were not alone, you would not be seeing me here now.

/She hesitantly puts the gun away and walks further into the room, looking around. He watches as she investigates every corner of the small hotel room before turning her attention back to him expectantly. He sighs and prepares for what may just be the biggest moment of his existence. As he begins to speak he slowly walks closer to her, only a few short steps away, and stares deep into her eyes hoping to see the little girl he once knew./

**Jarod:** You were my first friend, Miss Parker, my best friend. My first confidante. My first laugh. My first kiss. My first love…

/She puts her hand up, hushing him, shaking her head./

**Miss Parker:** No, no, NO! Don't you even say it! It's not possible and I won't believe it. I've dedicated the last two years of my life to hunting you down and bringing you back to the Centre. I've done everything I could to make your life miserable.

**Jarod:** No, Miss Parker, that was the Centre. You have had many chances to bring me back. Why did you let me get away on so many occasions if your life's ambition here is to catch me?

/He closes the distance between them so they are face to face./

**Jarod: **Or, was it that you did want to catch me, just not for the Centre… for yourself.

/She goes to slap him across the face, but he catches her hand only inches away. Their eyes lock and impulsively he suddenly leans in to kiss her. She struggles and pulls away, looking at him in astonishment. Shocked that he had the nerve to try and kiss her! Or was it the shock from the realization that she had wanted him to? She turned her back to him and walked to the other side of the room, as far away as she could get. When she heard him taking steps toward her she reeled around on her heels, drawing her gun back out as she spun./

**Miss Parker:** Don't. Don't come any closer. Just stay over there.

**Jarod:** (taking another step) Miss Parker…

**Miss Parker:** No! Don't.

/She was so confused. _Did_ she actually enjoy it? The way she was feeling…thrilled? But she always felt this way. Every time she was on his trail, every time she caught up to him. Every time she _thought _about him? Always felt this way…She shakes her head to get rid of the thoughts she is having./

**Miss Parker** (Avoiding his gaze): You told me you called me here to tell me some earth-shattering revelation about the Centre, not about your own demented little fantasies. (OK, she was back) Now, what is it? Or, do I have to just shoot you and bring you back to the Centre for the Triumvirate to get it out of you?

**Jarod:** No, Miss Parker, I think you will understand my reasons even more after you see this.

/He reaches into his jacket pocket and she cocks the gun and raises it./


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Don't own em… blah, blah… not mine, etc…

**The Business Merger by Sorraia3**

**Part 3**

**Jarod:** Relax, Miss Parker. I'm not armed. I just want to get out the papers I have to show you, unless of course you prefer to come and get them yourself?

/She gives him the classic Parker "very funny" look and motions with the gun for him to continue./

**Miss Parker:** Slowly or you lose a kneecap.

/He removes the papers and hands them to her. They are internal memos from the Centre. The first letter is from Raines to…her father? Its subject is listed as The Business Merger and is letting Mr. Parker know that all of the drugs have been administered on schedule and the symptoms are beginning to show. They should be able to proceed to the extraction process within the next 6 months. The next letter is from her father back to Raines. Same subject, The Business Merger, dated 4 months later. He is requesting that they move up the schedule. "She is ready now; if we wait the drugs will do too much damage." "We will set the surgery for next Tuesday." The third page was from a Dr. Stern, dated 2 weeks later. The operation went well and the harvest was successful. We are feeling very positive about the merger, but do not expect to see any successful results for several months, if not years. Please remain patient, these things take time. We will need additional samples from the boy. And don't forget our agreement. She looks up at Jarod with anger and confusion./

**Miss Parker:** OK, so the Centre was up to it's usually experiments, but these are dated over 6 years ago. What difference do they make now? Besides, it sounds more like a business deal then anything else, and as is so the Centre's style these memos are sufficiently cryptic that they could mean almost anything. Obviously it was a failed experiment or I would've heard about it. Especially with Daddy involved. I don't see what this has to do with you or me and why it is so earth shattering.

**Jarod:** Ah, but wait, Miss Parker. There is always more.

**Miss Parker:** There always is with you, Jarod.

**Jarod:** I searched the Centre's files to try and find out what The Business Merger was. (He paused)

**Miss Parker:** And…

**Jarod:** It's not about companies, Miss Parker, it's about people. Specifically, their DNA.

/Jarod pulls out the 3 DNA analysis sheets in the folder on the table and hands them to her. She looks at them briefly than back up at him./

**Miss Parker:** So, what am I supposed to see here other than DNA strands?

**Jarod:** They are not just any DNA strands, Miss Parker. Notice where a name should be is just a number? Anything familiar about that first number?

**Miss Parker:** (looking at it closely) The Red Files!

**Jarod:** Yes, Miss Parker, and why do you think they would be talking about a merger and have these specific DNA prints in the file?

/She looks up at him shocked./

**Miss Parker:** They were merging the DNA of the people in the Red files? But they are all male, what would that accomplish?

/She looks up again, shocked, knowing what he is about to say, but not wanting to believe it./

**Jarod:** All but one Miss Parker. Don't forget the eighth file.

**Miss Parker:** Me? But how?

**Jarod:** When you had your surgery 6 years ago for what you thought was your appendix, but was actually a drug induced reaction made to look like…

**Miss Parker:** No, no, no, NO!

**Jarod:** Wait, Miss Parker, it only gets better...

**Miss Parker:** (Her eyes get really wide) The second DNA… Who?

/She looks at him and sees the answer in his face before he even answers her./

**Miss Parker:** You? You! And… me?

**Jarod:** Us, Miss Parker. They were trying to create the ultimate Pretender. Our child.

**Miss Parker:** I need a drink.

**Jarod:** But, I'm afraid, with little success. Until now. (She looks up suddenly) They have made eight attempts over the past several years, all ending in miscarriage or stillbirth. _Our_ children, Miss Parker. And I'm going to stop them.

**Miss Parker:** (Looking at the third DNA sheet) Until Now?

**Jarod:** Yes, Miss Parker. On paper, in a test tube, they have succeeded. I just thought you should know that I _will_ bring down the Centre, but I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire.

/She shakes off the shock of what she just learned and looks at him./

**Miss Parker:** So, then tell me WonderBoy, what was that all about before? Did you think that just because the Centre has some lab rat that we are parent to that we'll be all like the happy Mr. & Mrs. now? Because if that's what your little fantasy is all about, then you truly are delusional.

**Jarod:** No, Miss Parker, no fantasies.

/He took a step toward her and she raised her gun from where it had fallen slack at her side./

**Miss Parker:** Don't come near me, Jarod. You expect to drop a bombshell on me and then I'll just run to your side? I think not. This is just one more reason for me to bring you in and get my freedom from the Centre.

**Jarod:** Do you really think that they will still let you leave?

**Miss Parker:** My father and I have a deal.

**Jarod:** Your father was at the center of this little conspiracy to take life from you, and me, and create his own little monster. Why do you think he was so willing to let you hunt me down? Their attempts were failing. They hoped we would do the work for them.

/She looked at him, shocked yet again, at the thought of her father, as ruthless as he could be, doing that to her./

**Jarod:** What they didn't count on was us finding out about it before we, uh…

**Miss Parker:** Don't even go there!

**Jarod:** Tell me the truth Miss Parker. You're a very smart woman. You knew that the Centre would never really let you leave, didn't you? So, what's the real reason you kept chasing me down? The thrill of the hunt?

/His words took her back to moments earlier and her own thoughts about the hunt…/

/She was so confused. Did she actually enjoy it? The way she was feeling…thrilled? But she always felt this way. Every time she was on his trail, every time she caught up to him. Every time she _thought _about him? Always felt this way…/

/ The gun slips from her hand as the true realization sinks in. She stares at him, shaking her head no as he walks toward her and puts his hand to the side of her face. The look in his eyes. Is it really…love? After all she has done to him could he possibly still feel that way? Still disbelieving what he had said, what he had implied, what he had _done_, denying her own feelings…wait, she had feelings for this man? She started to turn away again… /

**Miss Parker:** Jarod…I…

/ This time he put his hand to her mouth to hush her and gently turned her back to face him their eyes locking. Worlds of pain, anguish, fear, friendship, and love past between them in that brief look./

**Jarod:** You don't need to say anything, Miss Parker. If I was wrong about you, about us, just turn and walk away.

/She stands there, unable to break the gaze between them. Jarod leans in towards her. Very slowly this time, to see if she will pull away again. When she doesn't he closes the gap between them and kisses her softly, gently, slowly, trying to relay every ounce of emotion in his heart through that one sweet kiss. She responds with her own emotion and he deepens the kiss, letting the love and passion flow freely now./


End file.
